A Year's Journey through France and Part of Spain, 1777 eBook

bottomed, and very meanly built; they have, however,
a tilt to shelter them from the heat, and to preserve
the complexion, or hide the blushes of your
female Patronne:—­yes, my dear Sir,
Female!—­for they are all conducted by females;
many of whom are young, handsome, and neatly dressed.
I have, more than once, been disposed to blush, when
I saw a pretty woman sitting just opposite me, labouring
in an action which I thought would have been more
becoming myself. I asked one of these female
sculls, how she got her bread in the winter?
Oh, Sir, said she giving me a very significant look,
such a one as you can better conceive, than I convey,
dans l’hiver J’ai un autre talent.
And I assure you I was glad she did not exercise both
her talents at the same time of the year; yet
I could not refrain from giving her a double fee,
for a single fare, as I thought there was something
due to her winter as well as summer abilities.

But I must not let my little Bateliere’s
talents prevent me, while I think of it, telling you,
that I did visit, and stay some days at the Roman
town lately discovered in Champaigne, which I mentioned
to you in a former letter: it stood upon a mountain,
now called the Chatelet, the foot of which
is watered by a good river, and its sides with good
wine. Monsieur Grignon, whose house stands
very near it, and who has there an iron manufacture,
first discovered the remains of this ancient town;
his men, in digging for iron ore, found wrought gold,
beside other things, which convinced Mons. Grignon
(who is a man of genius) that it was necessary to
inform the King with what they had discovered; in
consequence of which, his Majesty ordered the foundations
to be laid open; and I had the satisfaction of seeing
in Mons. Grignon’s cabinet an infinite
number of Roman utensils, such as weights, measures,
kitchen furniture, vases, busts, locks, swords, inscriptions,
pottery ware, statues, &c. which afforded me, and
would you, a great deal of pleasure, as well as information.
Mons. Grignon the elder, was gone to Paris;
a circumstance which gave me great concern to hear
before I went to his house, but which was soon removed
by the politeness, and hospitable manner I was received
by his son: yet, my only recommendation to either,
was my being a stranger; and being a stranger is, in
general, a good recommendation to a Frenchman, for,
upon all such occasions, they are never shy, or backward
in communicating what they know, or of gratifying
the curiosity of an inquisitive traveller; their houses,
cabinets, and gardens, are always open; and they seem
rather to think they receive, than grant a favour,
to those who visit them. How many fine gardens,
valuable cabinets, and curiosities, have we in England,
so shut up, that the difficulty of access renders
them as unentertaining to the public, as they are
to the sordid and selfish possessors! I am thoroughly